Abhanga 1328
Handing the burden of knowing everything over to God and staying like a trusting, playful child opens up space and joy instead of anxious striving.
The verse
जाणपण बरें देवाचे शिरीं । आम्ही ऐसीं बरीं नेणतीं च ॥१॥ देखणियांपुढें रुचे कवतुक । उभयतां सुख वाढतसे ॥ध्रु.॥ आशंकेचा बाधा नाहीं लडिवाळां । चित्त वरि खेळा समबुद्धि ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे दिशा मोकळ्या सकळा । अवकाशीं खेळा ठाव जाला ॥३॥
Literal translation
Let jāṇa-paṇa stay on Deva's head — we are good as not-knowing. Before the seer, kavutuka pleases — both-sided sukha grows. No doubt-impediment for the laḍivāḷa — the citta plays on top with samabuddhi. Tuka says: all directions open — in avakāśa, play finds its ṭhāva.
मराठी: जाणपण देवाच्याच शिरीं असोतच — आम्हीं अशीं — नेणतीं असण्यांत बरीं. देखणार्या (देवा) पुढें — कवतुक रुचतें — दोघांना-च सुख वाढतें. लडिवाळास (लाडवाला) — आशंकेचा बाधा नाहीं — चित्त वरीच खेळतें — समबुद्धीनें. Tukā म्हणे — सकळ दिशा मोकळ्या — अवकाशींच खेळायला ठाव-च.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जाणपण बरें देवाचे शिरीं | "let jāṇa-paṇa (knowing) be — on Deva's śira (head)" |
| आम्ही ऐसीं बरीं नेणतीं च | "we — are good (barīm) — as nēṇatīm (not-knowing)" |
| देखणियांपुढें रुचे कवतुक | "before the seer (dēkhaṇī) — kavutuka (wonder / sport) is rucē (pleasing)" |
| उभयतां सुख वाढतसे | "both-sided (ubhayatām) sukha grows" |
| आशंकेचा बाधा नाहीं लडिवाळां | "no āśankā-impediment for the laḍivāḷa (pampered/coddled child)" |
| चित्त वरि खेळा समबुद्धि | "citta plays on top — with samabuddhi" |
| दिशा मोकळ्या सकळा | "all directions (sakaḷā diśā) — mōkaḷyā (open / free)" |
| अवकाशीं खेळा ठाव जाला | "in avakāśa (space / leisure) — play has its ṭhāva" |
What it means
Knowing-on-Deva's-head abhang. The opening: jāṇapaṇa baravēm Devācē śirīm — let jāṇa-paṇa (the knowing) be (kept) on Deva's head. The Marathi idiom X tujhē mastakīm / śirīm (X be on your head = X is your responsibility) — Tuka transfers the entire-burden-of-knowing to Deva.
The corresponding stance: āmhī aisīm barīm nēṇatīm chi — we are good (barīm) — as not-knowing. Compare 1213's nēṇatām chi bhalā dāsa tujhā — your dāsa is better as the unknowing one.
The image: dēkhaṇiyāmpuḍhē rucē kavutuka — ubhayatām sukha vāḍhatasē — before the seer,kavutuka(wonder, sport, play) pleases — both-sided sukha grows. When the bhakta plays kavutuka before Hari, both parties' sukha grows — Hari delights in watching, the bhakta delights in playing.
Āśankēcā bādhā nāhīm laḍivāḷām — no āśankā-impediment for the laḍivāḷa (the pampered, the baby-being-coddled). The pampered child doesn't suffer doubt; he's confident in being loved.
The closing — diśā mōkaḷyā sakaḷā — avakāśīm khēḷā ṭhāva jālā — all directions open — in avakāśa (space), play finds its place. Once knowing-is-Deva's-job, all directions are open to the bhakta; play finds room.
[T]
For someone today
Let all the knowing rest on God's shoulders — as for us, we're better off simply not knowing. When we play and delight before the one who watches us, the joy grows on both sides — his in seeing, ours in playing. A pampered, well-loved child feels no doubt or worry, and plays with an easy, trusting mind. Tuka says: once you let go of the need to know, every direction opens up, and play finds all the room it needs.
मराठी: जाणतेपणाचा सर्व भार देवावरच राहू दे — आम्ही तर नेणतेच बरे. जो पाहतो आहे त्याच्यासमोर खेळताना, गंमत साजरी होते, आणि दोघांचेही सुख वाढते — त्याचे पाहण्यात, आमचे खेळण्यात. एखाद्या लाडक्या मुलाला कसलीही शंका बाधत नाही, तो सहज, विश्वासाने खेळत राहतो. तुका म्हणतात, जाणून घेण्याची गरज सोडली की सर्व दिशा मोकळ्या होतात, आणि खेळायला भरपूर वाव मिळतो.
Where this applies
- When you feel pressure to have every answer figured out before you can relax or act
- When you catch yourself enjoying a small, playful moment and notice the people around you enjoying it too
- When a child or someone deeply loved shows no anxiety because they trust they are cared for
- When letting go of the need to control or understand everything suddenly opens up room to breathe and play